For automotive applications, fasteners are used to join trim pieces to sections or metal body portions of the automobile. The requirements for these fasteners are that they be insertable into apertures of the automobile and meet requirements to both retain the insert as well as provide a minimum pullout retention force such that the insert can be removed without damaging the insert. Common fastener designs include directly opposed flexible wings which deflect inwardly upon insertion of the fastener and expand by spring force to hold the fastener within a rectangular slot in the automobile. A drawback of commonly used fasteners is the inability of the fastener to compensate for misalignment between the fastener location and the aperture in the automobile. A further drawback is the inability of commonly used fasteners to accommodate slight rotation of the assembled joint in order to compensate for further misalignment between the fastener and the aperture of the automobile.
Another drawback of some existing designs for fasteners is the all metal body of the fastener itself. An all-metal fastener can result in corrosion between the metal contact surfaces between the fastener and the automobile as well as causing damage to the area of the aperture of the automobile upon insertion of the fastener or removal of the fastener.